Syrian Cuisine

businesses

Syrian Food Safari

Food Safari explores the food of Syria - one of the most vibrant cuisines of the Middle East, full of herbs, spices and traditions stretching back many generations. Maeve meets up with Melbourne Restaurateur Amal Malouf who owns and runs Arabesque Restaurant to get an explanation of the essential ingredients to make traditional dishes.

Sydney Restaurateur Carol Salloum takes Maeve through the classic mezza spread and explains the custom of eating the generous variety of little dishes while her chef sister Sharon raids her mothers abundant garden for salad vegies and herbs to make a classic salad called fattoush.

We see how the traditional saj or mountain bread is made by a group of women at home and then visit a traditional cheesemaker who makes the beloved yoghurt-based cheese called shanklish. The national dish of kibbeh is made by charming chef Najla Atmaja.

Chef Ayman Abbassi from café Zum Zum shows Maeve how to cook the beloved grain called freekeh which is delicious served with poached chicken and Syrian truffle, pine nuts with almonds. Syria is justly famous for its sweets and Amal Malouf demonstrates a sweet easily made at home a golden baklava baked with pistachio nuts and rosewater syrup.

Featured Businesses

Ingredients Segment
Amal Malouf is an experienced cook and one of the owners of Arabesque restaurant in Melbourne.

Segment filmed at:
A1 Lebanese Bakery
643-645 Sydney Road
Brunswick VIC 3056

Arabesque
Shop 1, 1-3 Carre Street
Elsternwick VIC 3185
P: (03) 9523 1108

Mezza Segment
Carol Salloum owns and runs Almond Bar with her sister Sharon in Sydney’s Darlinghurst.

Almond Bar
379 Liverpool Street
Darlinghurst NSW
P: (02) 9380 5318
W: www.almondbar.com.au

Freekeh with Chicken Segment
Ayman Abbassi is head chef at Café Zum Zum in Melbourne.

Café Zum Zum
645 Rathdowne Street
Carlton North VIC 3054
P: (03) 9348 0455

Bread Segment
Segment filmed at:
Baalbek Bakery Canterbury
99-105 Canterbury Rd
Canterbury NSW
P: (02) 9718 3870

Fattoush Segment
Sharon Salloum is head chef at Almond Bar, which she runs with her sister Carol.

Segment filmed at:
Almond Bar
379 Liverpool Street
Darlinghurst NSW
P: (02) 9380 5318
W: www.almondbar.com.au

Dairy Segment
brahim Abou-Chedid makes traditional Lebanese and Middle Eastern dairy products in his family run business Grandpa’s Dairy.

Grandpa’s Dairy
32a Harp Street
Campsie, NSW 2194
Australia

Kibbeh Segment
Najla Atmaja is head chef at her restaurant in Melbourne’s Northcote, Café Najla.

Café Najla
102 High Street
Northcote VIC 3070
P: (03) 9482 1168

Sweets Segment
Sharon Salloum is head chef at Almond Bar, which she runs with her sister Carol.
Amal Malouf is an experienced cook and one of the owners of Arabesque restaurant in Melbourne (see above).

Segment filmed at:
Abla Pastry
48 Railway Parade
Granville NSW
P: (02) 9637 8092